Zappos' Cool New Shoebox Can Be Cut Up and Repurposed in a Bunch of Unique Ways

Zappos wants you to think outside the box. Beginning with the box itself.

On June 1, the online retailer will begin shipping some shoes in a very cool new box (designed in-house) that features a collection of template designs printed on the inside—encouraging the recipients to fold, cut and otherwise reuse the box into item like a smartphone holder, a children's shoe sizer, a geometric planter and a 3-D llama.

"Customers will not only be able to reuse their boxes in a range of unique ways but will also be inspired to channel their creativity and to literally think outside the box," the brand says.

It's part of a larger campaign called #ImNotABox, which features the video below, from creative collective Variable, in which a schoolboy help a homeless man through a very personal cardboard construction project. A cut-down version of the ad will air nationally on cable networks.

#ImNotABox is intended to go beyond a funky box and into more aspirational territory.

"The Zappos box is our way of being there for our customers, wherever they are in life, as we provide them with the things they need and love. Every box has a unique story and purpose," says Kelly Smith of Zappos THINK, an in-house experiential campaign team at Zappos.com. "Not only do we want customers to know we genuinely care about their needs, but we also hope to inspire people to become the best version of themselves and to see the world with a new perspective. We want people in the end to say, 'I'm not a box.' "

For more, visit imnotabox.com.

CREDITS

Client: Zappos

Creative Director: Kelly Smith

Creative Director: Tia Zuniga

Art Director: Derrin Hawkins

Production Company/Creative Collective: Variable

Director/Editor: Lloyd Lee Choi

Director of Photography: Jonathan Bregel

Creative Art Director: Caitlin Van Horn

Executive Producer: Tyler Ginter

Head of Production: Alex Friedman